. a letter addressed topresidentobamacontaineda suspicious substance. they routinely identify parcels that need secondary testing. yesterday,e oe eor wicker received a letter that was laced with what they believe to be ricin. let's head to washington now and check in with brianna keilar. >> reporter: it's not confirmed at this time that that suspicious substance is ricin, but considering the news, it would very much make you wonder if it is not a suspicious substance. the way the white house gets their mail is similar to the way the members of congress get their mail especially in the wake of september 11. that mail goes to a offsite facility. anything suspicious is to be picked up well outside of the white house before anything would ever come into the white house grounds. so this happened on tuesday we're told, a letter addressed to president obama was received. so they routinely get this kind of mail, they go through screening, scientific testing, and there it was picked up. at this point, the secret service, carol, is working with the capital police and the fbi in this investigati

marathon. all of this aspresidentobamagetsready to comfort the victims in that city tomorrow. these are new images in to us from reuters appearing to show a circuit board, timers and other parts of the devices as well. authorities believe each bomb may have weigh ed about 20 pounds. they were packed with nails and ball bearings as well. the fbi says it's found the mangled remains of what appears to be a pressure cooker in a black nylon back that possibly held the bombs. the fbi is also examining photos like this one where you can see what looks like a trash bag next to a mailbox. that same shot just moments after shows a devastating scene. invest garretigators are lookin whether the devices were put in trash bags to hide them. meantime, they continue to ask the public for help in the form of pictures, videos and tips. >> the person who did this is someone's friend, neighbor, co-worker or relative. someone knows who did this. >> former mayor rudy giuliani in office during the 9/11 attacks weighed in on "morning joe," saying people need to give investigators more time to come u

: lies, misinformation and a deliberate coverup. conclusions of house republicans on howtheobamaadministrationhandled the benghazi terror attack. democrats in the white house are firing back. this is "special report." >> good evening, i'm bret bamplet as a new terror investigation is underway in boston, researchers for five republican controlled house committees have come out with a scathing indictment of the obama administration's response to the september 11th terror attack in benghazi, libya that left four americans dead. including the u.s. ambassador. national security correspondent jennifer griffin has details tonight from the pentagon. good evening, jennifer. >> greenk, bret. fox news has obtained a progress report prepared by members of the house republican conference on events surrounding the september 11th attacks in benghazi. it concludes the administration's reaction was, quote: a concerted attempt to insulate the department of state from blame following the terrorist attacks. the report was prepared by the chairman of the armed services foreign affairs judiciary ov

that it does look sunny and warmer sunday/monday. >> time now 7:12.presidentobamalashedout at senators who voted against new gun control legislation. >> because the american people are trying to figure out how can something have 90% support and not have it. >> washington insider weighs in on whether another push for tougher gun laws is likely. >> plus, the big reward being offered in the search for a missing hayward man. ñç >>> a little cooler this morning. not as much of a breeze thankfully. sunny today. warmer. 60s and 70s. things look to be quieter today than the past couple days. >> time now 7:15. happening right now president obama and first lady michelle obama have arrived in boston. these are live pictures. they are arriving now. the president and first lady will be in boston attending inter faith prayer service in honor of those injured and killed in the boston bombings. focused on where air force one. we know air force one is down on the ground. the president will be speaking at the service. we wanted to take you live to boston's airport to let you know the president is in the

contacted was the recent letters that were sent to senator wicker, as well aspresidentobama. theinformation that we received from the fbi of the content that those two letters contained, the way that the letters were typewritten to those two individuals, the postmark similarity that we had, it raised suspicion that there could possibly be a connection to the letter that we received in justice court. the next step that we took was a joint effort in investigating what we could about what this substance was that was inside the letter that we had. as you all know, the federal authorities released the information as far as the content that they believed was placed inside the two letters to senator wicker, as well as president obama. their team and other government officials arrived at our facility. we staged them on our north parking lot. there's a portable laboratory that was brought in. they came in and took possession of our letter, which is the justice court letter that was received on april 10th. that particular letter, content and envelope has been analyzed at the laborato

.presidentobamatodaycalled it heinous and cowardly and an act of terror. he said the fbi is investigating it as an act of terrorism. and the president said it is still unclear who is behind the attack. investigators say no person or group has claimed responsibility. we have fox team coverage tonight. chief intelligence correspondent catherine herridge is monitoring the hunt for whoever is responsible from here in washington. at the white house wendell goler tells us what else the president said. we begin in boston with senior correspondent rick leventhal near the bombing sites. hello, rick. >> and, bret, tonight the fbi confirms that it believes both bombs were concealed in black nylon bags or backpacks and would have been heavy. they are asking for anyone who may have seen anyone carrying unusually heavy bags near the finish line to contact authorities. more than 1,000 investigators and police officers have been assigned to this case. but it's still very early. the range of suspects and possible motives is wide open. army northward humvees rumble through the streets of boston protect the

. 176 of the injured were transported to area hospitals.presidentobamatodaycalled it heinous and cowardly and an act of terror. he said the fbi is investigating it as an act of terrorism. and the president said it is still unclear who is behind the attack. investigators say no person or group has claimed responsibility. we have fox team coverage tonight. chief intelligence correspondent catherine herridge is monitoring the hunt for whoever is responsible from here in washington. at the white house wendell goler tells us what else the president said. we begin in boston with senior correspondent rick leventhal near the bombing sites. hello, rick. >> and, bret, tonight the fbi confirms that it believes both bombs were concealed in black nylon bags or backpacks and would have been heavy. they are asking for anyone who may have seen anyone carrying unusually heavy bags near the finish line to contact authorities. more than 1,000 investigators and police officers have been assigned to this case. but it's still very early. the range of suspects and possible motives is wide open. arm

to determine the exact cause of the fire.theobamaadministrationis trying to figure out what if anything it can now do about gun control. the senate gutted legislation that would have approved background checks. four democrats joined republicans in blocking the bill, afterwards an infuriated president obama spoke and described it as a shameful day in washington. in boston today the fbi is considering a possible photo and video release of a person they believe is connected to the marathon bombings on monday. the video was taken by surveillance camera near a lord & taylor store. investigators are debating the benefits and drawbacks of releasing materials to the public. the death toll stands at three dead more than 150 injured. ten remain in critical condition, and media critics are hammering several news organization who wrongly reported that a suspect had been arrested. cnn in addition to the erroneous report that somebody had been arrested also got the man's skin color wrong. no explanation from cnn. stephanie? >> stephanie: david -- >> actually am i supposed to pit

in washington. investigators say early tests on letters sent topresidentobamaandmississippi republican senator roger wicker were positive for ricin. that's a deadly poison. 6,000 times more poisonous, they say, than many other items e% say preliminary tests can be wrong and they're waiting for final results. officials say they intercepted both letters before they got to the white house or the capitol building. mike emanuel is live on the hill there. there are some similarities between the two letters. what are they? >> well, bill, that's right. an fbi operations bulletin obtained by fox reveals similarities. both were postmarked memphis, tennessee on april the 8th. there was some identical wording. and the same signature imkc and i approve this message. at the white house we received this update. >> there was a letter sent to, addressed to the president, that at an off site mail facility wases noticd to have contained a suspicious substance and tests were undertaken. the fbi has the lead in that investigation. >> important to note that both letters did not reach the white house or the

speeches thatbarackobamahasever given as president of the united states. newtown families and tucson survivors standing with the president at the white house when he made those remarks. many of them today were looking on in the senate as the background checks bill was filibustered. there's a lot to explain what happened there in that story and what happens next. this is, clearly, the biggest policy story in this president's second term thus far, by far it is. but also in the midst of all of this, still today, the country is riveted to the continuing news out of boston after the bombing of the boston marathon two days ago. the first thing you need to know what happened today in the news about boston is some of what you may have heard today out of boston was flat-out wrong. >> again, i have a boston source, fran townsend has a second source, in fact, an arrest has been made on wednesday. here's what fran's source said, an arrest has been made based on two different videos showing images of the suspect. i was told the video enhancement showed a dark-skinned male placing the package at t

the country.presidentobamaandfirstlady,michelleobamaonthe way to boston moments ago departing the white house on the south lawn. they're set to the attend an interfaith service of the bombing victims at the cathedral of the holy cross a mile from our location on boylston street. while the nation will pause to remember. senator john mccain is saying that the events in boston may provide a valuable lesson. >> that is certainly a wake-up call. every time there is an act like this americans obviously lead to more security to prevent another catastrophic event. and then we have a tendency, and it is understandable, to become a little bit complacent. but i think it is a cautionary lesson here we really can't let our guard down. bill: after at crazy day yesterday and information ping-ponging throughout the streets of boston what we can tell you today that the fbi is considering releasing what we call, still images captured images from surveillance video cameras a quarter mile down the road here at the finish line from around 2:0, 2:45, 2 len 50 in the afternoon on monday. when the pr

marathon bombings underway.presidentobamaattendinga church service a mile away. as many as 15 people may be dead and more than 160 hurt in a massive fertilizer plant explosion. letters tainted with deadly poison are set to the president and a united states senator. it's all "happening now." a lot of news to bring to you on this thursday morning. "happening now" president obama will speak at a memorial service for victims of the boston marathon bombings in just a few minutes. good morning i'm jon scott. jenna: i'm jenna lee. we will dip in and out of this interfaith service at boston's cathedral of the holy cross. you can see just a beautiful cathedral the service just getting underway. this is just about a mile from the site of the twin opl bombings on monday where three people were killed and 176 wounded in the worst terror attack on american soil since september 11th. we are live in boston with more. rick. >> reporter: as you might imagine very heavy security in the streets outside the cathedral here that have been shut down. we have boston police s.w.a.t. team members behind us as

alert right now with the news this hour that a letter addressed topresidentobamacontaineda suspicious substance. the letter was intercepted as a screening facility and initial tests show it could contain the deadly poison ricin. the fbi says it's very lard to a letter sent yesterday to senator roger wicker of mississippi. which also tested positive for ricin. a third suspicious package may have arrived at the office of alabama senator richard shelby. investigators do not currently believe there is a connection to the bombing in boston. meanwhile, law enforcement officials in massachusetts are combing through more than 2,000 tips, looking through photos like this one, shall shows a bag sitting by a mailbox before the explosion. it is unclear at this point whether or not the bag has any relevance, but appears to be near the center of the explosion. president obama will be in boston tomorrow to attend a memorial service for the victims. for the loved once of those killed and maimed in the explosion, there is only confusion and many unanswered questions. joining me today here

roger wicker and the other was sent to presidentbarackobama. theyboth can takened powdery substances. we're learning this from an fbi operations bulletin that went out we exclusively obtained. the it confirms both letters were sent from memphis, tennessee on april 8th. they contained the following message. to see iran and not expose it to become a silent partner to its continuance. both letters were signed, i am kc and i approved this message. the initial tests on the wicker letter were positive for ricin. we don't know what any test results were on the obama letter. both letters were intercepted before they reached their intended address, the u.s. capitol building and the white house. moments ago, senator minority leader mitch mcconnell says that means that security systems that have been put in place worked. >> i would like to recognize the postal and law enforcement officials for their excellent work in detecting and preventing this threat before it even reached the capitol. they proved the proactive measures we put in place do in fact work. >> reporter: and this fbi operations bu

leventhal is live about a mile away at the cathedral from the holly cross wherepresidentobamaspokeearlier at a memorial service for the victims. rick? >> and megyn, we haven't heard an update on the investigation from the fbi since tuesday. but today we heard from homeland security secretary janet napolitano who cautioned that this isn't a tv crime show where incidents are solved in an hour but she confirmed that investigators are very carefully looking at photos and video clips from personal phones, tv footage and surveillance cameras and that footage according to other sources clearly shows suspect placing one of the scene gf explodes. the secretary though tampered expectations. >> there is some video that has raised the question of those that the fbi would like to speak with. i wouldn't characterize them as suspects under the technical term. but we need the public's help in locating these individuals. >> and today here at the cathedral of the holy cross. the president and first lady and numerous dignitaries gathered for a service it to help this city heal. paying tribute to vic

the bombings.presidentobamamarkedthe moment of silence from the white house. the u.s. senate held a similar tribute on capitol hill. it is still unclear what impact the boston bombings will have on the immigration debate in congress. but the topic of national security is clearly playing a more prominent role in the discussion. things got tense on capitol hill yesterday when senator chuck schumer sparred republican senator chuck grassley about the future of the legislation. take a look. >> a few ways to improve the bill all for an amendment when we start mark-up in may and let's vote on it. i say that particularly those who were pointing to what happened. the terrible tragedy in boston as a -- i would say an excuse for not doing a bill or delaying it many months oer years. >> i never said that. >> i didn't say you did, sir. >> i didn't say -- >> i didn't say you did. i don't mean you, mr. grassley. >> mr. chairman, i don't appreciate the senator demeaning the witnesses that have come here. >> earlier, senator patrick leahy who chairs the judiciary committee opened the hearing with some tough

on the latest on the boston marathon,presidentobamaspokeat an interfaith church service as investigators search for the press or people responsible for the attack. rich edson has the latest. rich: president obama just arrived at massachusetts general hospital where he will meet with hospital staff, some of the victims of this. he was meeting with those of the boston athletic association, volunteers, victims' families, first responses, link the statement of the president of the added stake in boston speaking at the interfaith service attended by number of dignitaries including former presidential challenger mitt romney who was in attendance with his son. when you listen to what the president spoke for about noon he started speaking and set a stern message to the bombers. >> bostonians carried victims and their arms, little water and blankets, lined up to give blood. opened their homes to total strangers, give them lives back to reunite with their families. that is love. that is the message we send to those who carried this out to anyone who would do harm to our people. yes, we will find y

and we're not just talking about the market's.presidentobamainboston this hour attending the interfaith service for the victims of the attack. this is the investigation and those behind the bombing continues and the devastating news does not and there an explosion at a fertilizer plant wreaking havoc on the town of west texas. many are still missing and several said. connell: also the market's with nicole but first let's go to rich edson as the president is in boston. what about the bombings? >> what we look not right now from our security team that the fbi is considering whether to release video and pictures of what they believe could possibly believe one or two suspects. there is video of at least one of the devices being placed that is an internal process as to whether or not release that to the public. also from fox news officials are examining batteries many sold in the united states. the type they found as part of the device however it seems the bomber to the extra step not to purchase the regular battery but taking another to insert into the bomb. also significant

a news conference from fbi. and a look atpresidentobama's addressto the mourners today. more from what turned tout 0 be an energetic ceremony? boston, and we'll take a look at the giant explosion in texas. the plant where it happened has had its share of complaints over the year. we'll be back. [ male announcer ] you could be at the corner of "medicare part d" and "up to 75% lower copays." as a preferred pharmacy, walgreens can save you as much as 75% compared to other select pharmacies. walgreens, at the corner of happy and healthy. at a hertz expressrent kiosk, you can rent a car without a reservation... and without a line. now that's a fast car. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the speed of hertz. >>> president obama message today to the bombing victims and their families: we might get knocked down but we will finish the race. the president has here speaking at the cathedral in boston. he and the first lady joint thousands of people, many waiting for hours for a seat in the cathedral only blocks from where the bombing happened. among those in attendance, the former mass

that -- >> a mississippi man under arrest accused of mailing poison tainted letters, one topresidentobama. >>and all that matters. >> the senate rejects a bill that would have approved background checks for gun owners. >> an emotional moment in boston as the city hosted its first major sporting event since the bombing. ♪ and the home of the brave >> welcome to "cbs this morning." good morning, norah. >> good morning, charlie. a lot of breaking news overnight. the people in the town of west in central texas, waking up to a scene of destruction. a fertilizer plant caught fire, exploded last night. one witness says the force of the blast was like a tornado. >> the town of west, home to 2,800 pe,28 miles north of waco. here is what we know about the explosions. police believe 5 to 15 people have died. 160 people were injured. the explosion flattened homes and businesses in a four-block area around the plant. the cause is unknown at this hour, however, they say there is no indication yet of foul play. and manuel bojorquez is covering the damage. >> reporter: good morning, charlie and norah. investigato

. i hopetheobamaadministrationwill allow us that option that exists in our law. they have a very bad track record here. >> reporter: fox news is told investigators are probing a potential link to a islamist group as first reported on fox over the weekend. they were responsible for the attack on moscow airport. in response the group issued a statement saying their disagreement is with russia. they did not deny knowing the brothers. also according to one source who has reviewed that, they were undercut in their claims trying to deny any connection because they pointed the finger as russia as being responsible for these bombings which of course there is no evidence to support that, jon. jon: catherine herridge, lots of tangled leads to unravel here. catherine, thank you. >> reporter: you're welcome. jenna: for more on this now we'll bring in our next guest, chris voss, retired fbi special agent and hostage negotiator and manager of insight security. we talked you to last few times in. great to have you back on the program. >> thank you, jenna. jenna: catherine is reporting on there

court and the statement taken from him cannot be used against him in that trial. >> whiletheobamaadministrationhas agreed to delay a reading of his miranda rights under a public safety exemption, secretary of defense chuck hagel has not seen evidence to link the bombings to terror groups. scrutiny turns to the fbi who reportedly questioned the older brother tamerlan in 2011 at the request of a foreign government. this is so interesting. of russia. the fbi told the a.p. despite interviewing him and relatives they did not find any activity. the agency dropped the ball. richard, i wonder if there is going to be a lot of questions and maybe even hearings out of this or what comes to mind just knowing those basic facts? >> there probably will be hearings of the fbi whether it learned more or could have done more. critics say that is monday morning quarterbacking. it ought to be about what we were talking about, what can we do to prevent or identify young people who are radicalized and how did we respond and how what did we learn about lockdowns. as the military would say it ought not

the boston marathon.presidentobamaandthe first ladymichelleobamawillbe here as well. we will have special coverage, anderson cooper and i will begin that coverage at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. until then thanks very much for watching, our nonstop special coverage of the aftermath of the boston bombings continues now. >> out front next, we begin with breaking news, significant development in the investigation here in boston, according to sources, policeng for someone they saw on video as a possible suspect. plus what we're just learning about the devices used during the bombings and how authorities are using that information they were trying to piece together to locate the attacker. and the poison ricin sent to our lawmakers and this time to the president of the united states. let's go out front. good evening, everyone, i'm erin burnett in boston and we begin out front tonight with breaking news, a possible suspect in the boston bombings. here's what we know at this moment. according to sources who talked to cnn, authorities have a poss based upon analysis of video of a

overnight, suspected of sending letters contaminated with poison topresidentobamaandsenator roger wicker. the move comes just days after the betters were intercepted in mail-sorting facilities. tracie potts is live with the details. >> reporter: authorities after an exhaustive investigation traced the letters to paul kevin curtis of tupelo, mississippi. he was arrested at his home in mississippi, as authorities try to figure out what the motive was here. three letters that tested positive for potentially dangerous ricin. the one sent to senator wicker never made it to capitol hill. it was intercepted. one sent to president obama was intercepted offsite. all of them postmarked april 8th. and all postmarked for memphis. what gave it away was the common signature. i am kevin curtis and i approve this message, at the end of the letters. the test on the first letter to wicker, had proved inconclusive. and the second one, as well. they're trying to figure out how potent this ricin was. and while it initially tested positive, the further tests by the fbi have been inconclusive. they ordered mor

united states,presidentobama, he'sabout to arrive here in boston, as we get ready for a memorial service, honoring the victims. those who died, as well as those who suffered in this horrible boston marathon bombing. that will begin shortly. we're following also the investigation behind this terror. >> how are you, wolf? good to be with you today. we'll start with what's going on in west, texas. west is the name of the town, about 20 miles from waco. a very desperate situation since about 7:30 local p.m. a fire broke out at a fertilizer factory there. about 15 minutes later, a massive explosion. so powerful, it registered as an earthquake. 2.1 magnitude earthquake. explosion of noxious compound used in making federal lieser this is a small town, only about 3,000 people. 50 to 60 homes have been destroyed. half the town, 1,300 people, forced to be evacuated. injuries were quick, some severe, over 160 people treated so far. the most difficult part of the situation, it's so dire, it's the unknown. the chemical compound, anhydrous ammonia, used in making fertilizer. can be lethal. the

right now, wolf, is a letter addressed topresidentobamathatcontained a suspicious substance and that's all that we're being told, was intercepted at an offsite mail processing facility. this is a mail facility run by the secret service where they get all the mail addressed to the white house. and they check it for this very reason, to screen it, to do scientific tests to make sure it's safe to come here. it had a suspicious substance in it, we are told, wolf, by a law enforcement source that there are similarities to the letter sent to senator wicker. what exactly does that mean i've asked my sources, so far, wolf, inconclusive at this point. we do know there were some marks, i guess you could say identifying marks in the wicker letter, a postmark from memphis, tennessee. there was no return sender. we don't know if that nor the message included in the letter to senator wicker if that bears the similarity, but we are being told that there are similarities. so it certainly makes you wonder if it could have been sent from the same person or if they think -- if authorities think it is.

about the bill. >> reporter: furious,presidentobamasaidthe bill did not harm gun rights. >> this legislation met that test. and too many senators failed theirs. >> reporter: more anger erupted when a woman shouted at senators, shame on you. most republicans and four democrats from states with high gun ownership voted against expanding background checks. >> criminals do not submit to background checks now. they will not submit to expanded background checks. >> the way to stop violent crime is to stop violent criminals. >> reporter: the politics was about more than gun rights. later today, a bipartisan group of senators will roll out immigration reform. democrat senator joe manchin who fought hard to get enough votes on background checks found that with two politically hard votes, some senators chose immigration over guns. >> if you're looking at it and trying to evaluate it, they're saying maybe immigration and maybe guns on top of that might be too much for me to go home and explain. >> reporter: and many of those senators who voted no, toe me they had hearty most from t

at the white house, thatpresidentobamawashurt, immediately this happened a little after 1:00. i don't know if you can see this, we printed out this chart, you can see what happened here, just around 1:15 when the tweet went out, the market fell, the market fell over 100 points, 133 points to be exact. dipped into the negative. that happened within seconds. within seconds that drop happened. and then ap sent out another tweet saying that they were hacked, and then you saw the market immediately shoot back up. it was a total 180, the market went from negative all the way to positive, over 100 points again within minutes. very dramatic whiplash kind of move. shows you in the age of computerized trading how wall street can react to a tweet that is read around the web. >> boy, oh, boy, alison, such a look at how in the digital age everything moves so quickly. you have to be right about your information. thank you for telling us that. appreciate it. >>> back to boston now, where a short time ago doctors upgraded the surviving suspect's condition from serious to fair. now, it is not easy for the

, and the information that we received from the federal people that senator wicker andpresidentobamareceived.>> more tests are being done on the letters. more details now about the poison ricin. it comes from the bean of the caster oil plant, and it is deadliest when inhaled. it could be used to kill an individual, but would not work for a large group of people, and does not pass from person to person. there is only one known assassination using ricin. in 1978, a bulgarian dissident. >>> sabotage in the south bay. new details on the attacks on two crucial utilities. why investigators think they were coordinated. >> possible relief for allergy sufferers. >> then. >> there are firefighters down. >> our coverage of the deadly massive explosion in texas continues. we're gathering new details on this breaking story. >>> all in all, this was a pretty shameful day for washington, but this effort is not over. >> a visibly angry president obama stands with the families of those killed in the newtown massacre. the president isn't the only one blasting the senate for narrowly rejecting the measure. heather hol

that senator wicker andpresidentobamareceived.>> more tests are being done on the letters. more details now about the poison ricin. it comes from the bean of the caster oil plant, and it is deadliest when inhaled. it could be used to kill an individual, but would not work for a large group of people, and does not pass from person to person. there is only one known assassination using ricin. in 1978, a bulgarian dissident. >>> sabotage in the south bay. new details on the attacks on two crucial utilities. why investigators think they were you kids should count yourselves lucky. we didn't have u-verse back in my day. you couldn't just... guys... there you are. you know you couldn't just pause a show in one room, then... where was i... you couldn't pause a show in one room then start playing it in another. and...i'm talking to myself... [ male announcer ] call to get u-verse tv for just $19 a month for 2 years with qualifying bundles. rethink possible. >>> all in all, this was a pretty shameful day for washington, but this effort is not over. >> a visibly angry president obama stands with the

kenneth topresidentobama. lettersent to a mississippi senator contained the poison ry-sin. tested positive for the same toxin. it was intercepted at a screening facility outside the white house. it was received tuesday - and the f-b-i says the letters to both men were post-marked memphis tennessee -- on april 8th. the white house says staffers followed a careful drill in handling the letters.and no one was injured. from longtime other than standard protocol. any time a specific powers in the mail facility is inspected. out _ that is screened. steps are taken a remote sites. mississipi republican. it had markings similar to the one sent to the the f-b-i says both letters will undergo more testing. both were intercepted at off-site mail screening buildings capital police say it turns out that suspicious packages investigated in the u-stoday were "not" hazardous. but at last word - a man was still being questioned. some senate office buildings were closed for a time. and senator carl levin says tests are being done on a suspicious letter sent to his michigan office. a staffer who dis

. this is the "washington times" this morning. sopresidentobamaisheaded to boston tomorrow. the washington post has this -- athens, ohio, ain democrat. caller: the situation in boston is really horrific and the people who did it clearly need to be brought to justice. msnbc i heard someone talking about who we are as a people and he gave amazing examples of nurses and other citizens who came to the aid of the injured and those killed in the situation. he w spoke ho we are not. he said we are not people who maim people. clearly that the case in the u.s. but when we look at ourselves -- and i've not making any excuses for this type of horrific behavior, but we have to reflect upon our own behavior overseas.ou peoplenes, the innocent who have died in iraq because unnecessary war. i'm not saying the people in boston are tied to this, but they could be. we do bomb and maim innocent people. i'm not saying this is the case, that this is retaliation, but it is possible. we need to look at our own do overseas aswe well as who did this, and they need to be brought to justice, but so do we. host: mike in mass

for wounded souls. ♪presidentobamahonoredthe victims of the boston bombings with emotional remarks. >> for millions of us, what happened on monday is personal. it's personal. that's what the people of boston are made of. your resolve is the greatest rebuke to whoever committed this heinous act. they sought to intimidate us, to terrorize us, to shake us from those values that make us who we are as americans, well, it should be pretty clear by now that they picked the wrong city to do it. [ applause ] not here in boston. not here in boston. yes, we will find you, and, yes, you will face justice. like bill iffrig, 78 years old. the runner in the orange tank top who we all saw get knocked down by the blast. we may be momentarily knocked off our feet, but we'll pick ourselves up. we'll keep going. we will finish the race. >> the president honored bombing victim krystle campbell, who was killed just weeks before her 30th birthday. he honored lu lingzi, recently moved to boston for graduate school to study math and statistics. she went with two new friends to see the boston marathon and w

obamaoranyone else inside. they simply stood silently in a show of support. diane? >> and again the president quoting a poem that boston is not a place, it is a state of grace. thanks so much, linsey davis from boston for us tonight. >>> now we turn from boston to the other american region in crisis, reeling tonight and asking the nation's prayers after a massive and mysterious explosion at a fertilizer plant. the image caught on tape. the air thick with the smell of ammonia. volunteer firefighters overwhelmed. the blast had the ferocity of a 2.1 earthquake and the thunderous shock could be heard 45 miles away. tonight, the small towe waco, called west, has been flattened. abc's steve osunsami has been there through the night. >> reporter: their moment of crisis for families in a small town of west, texas, came at 7:29 p.m., with a fire raging at their giant fertilizer depot. >> everybody needs to get away from there. back all trucks away from the plant. >> reporter: a small team of firefighters answering the call, worried the whole thing could blow. then at 7:53, the sound no o

obamaandother u.s. officials has just been released from federal custody. we're standing by for a live news conference of what's been going on. i'm wolf blitzer in boston and this is a special edition of "the situation room." she was a dancer before the blast here in boston and she vows to dance again even though she no longer has her foot. cnn's anderson coop ervice ited the bombing victim in the hospital along with her husband who was also injured and they spoke about her incredibly positive attitude. watch this. >> i hate to ask you to relive what you went through so if you don't want to that's totally fine. >> it's okay. i relive it every day. >> you think about it every day. >> absolutely. >> how close were you to the second explosion? >> i was right in front of it. right in front of the business where it was so i felt the direct impact and it immediately blew off my left foot. >> how far away was the bomb, do you know? >> my guess would have been about five feet. >> five feet. >> yeah. we're lucky to be alive. >> did you lose consciousness? >> i don't think we did. i remember eve

meantimepresidentobamawillbe traveling to boston tomorrow. massachusetts governor deval patrick says the president will attend an interfaith service dedicated to those that were injured or killed. we understand the president will speak at that service. he has canceled plans to visit the university of kansas on friday. bill: also major league baseball paying tribute to the people of boston. baseball runs through this entire town and fans of the red sox. there was a moment of silence before the city's beloved red sox were playing a game in cleveland against the indians. >> please join us now in a moment of silence. bill: also the horror near the marathon's finish line, fresh on the players minds. the red sox had already boarded bosses for the airport on monday afternoon when they learned of the bombings. after the 7-1 wins, red sox posing with a banner of boston's b logo and one word that says it all, strong, as in be strong. indeed they are. cities around the country paying tribute to people of boston in their own ways which we will share with you in a moment as we continue to cover n

. >> but then failed to pass sparked anger frompresidentobamaanddisappointment from the parents of schoolchildren who were massacred last winter in new town conn. >> families that no unspeakable grief summon the courage to petition their like of leaders. not just on the memory of their children but to protect the lives of all of our children. 90 percent of democrats in the senate voted for that idea. but it is not going to happen. >> congresswoman gabrielle gifford who was severely injured in gun violence, also stood by the press inside. she is quoted as been furious the measure did not pass and accused the opposing centers of cowardice. the final vote tally was 54 to 46. the proposal was part of the car for hia compromise struck by a democratic and republican senator. it was backed by president obama, but faced fierce opposition from the national rifle association. a ban on assault weapons also failed along with a bid to block the sale of high capacity ammunition clips. >> we now know the name of the suspect was believed to have mailed letters filled with deadly poison to president obama and mis

to the emotional debate over gun control.presidentobamawithstrong words after the senate failed to pass a key proposal to expand background checks. he called it a shameful day in washington and vowed to keep fighting. john carl has the story. >> the amendment is not agreed to. >> reporter: just as the bill was voted down, two victims of gun violence scream out in the senate chamber. >> shame on you! >> the president joined by gabby giffords and some of the families were anger. >> all in all this was a shameful day for washington. >> reporter: afterwards the newtown families told us they were disappointed but determined. >> we don't have a political agenda. we just don't want other people to suffer through this. we want their passing to mean something, to have a purpose. >> reporter: james and natalie barden lost their little brother daniel in the sandy hook massacre. >> i feel that we owe it to daniel because his life needed to mean something. >> he was just so thoughtful and he thought about everybody. he was always happy. >> reporter: senator rand paul yesterday accused the president of usi

-- with aaron hearn, the victim in the shooting. first ladymichelleobamavisitedaaron hearn last week. >>> we now know the fbi interviewed the older suspect, tamerlan tsarnaev, two years ago after being tipped off he was a follower of radicalism. coming up at 7:15, why some lawmakers want to know if the fbi dropped the ball. >>> time is running out in san jose for people living in a large homeless camp. they will be forced to leave in a couple of hours. ktvu's janine de la vega is live near the camp where those cleanup crews are getting ready to sweep through the area. >> reporter: we've been here since 4:30. now that it's lighter, we can get a better idea what this looks like. the homeless have been access through the chain-link fence. there's a lot of trash, manmade structures and tarps. we've seen people packing up and getting ready to move. city officials estimate a lot of single adults, couples and their pets have set up camp. crews were here lost october and removed 50 tons of trash. some people are driving their cars down access roads and leaving them there to reach their -- dash camp

obamaspentmuch of the day with his tv on keeping track of the dramatic events in watertown and when the manhunt was over he went to the white house room to speak to the nation. major garrett is there now and joins us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anthony and margaret. there are rare moments in a president's life when the flow of information to the commander in chief is not all that much different than the flow of information to the rest of us. when the president's best source of information isn't his vast array of advisers but live television. that describes president obama's friday evening. he watched the dramatic events on live television unfolding in watertown. he didn't make his way to the oval office until he had some sense that the second bomber had been captured. upon arriving at the oval office he received a phone call that no one else did from fbi director robert muellerpos positively that the second suspect was alive, in custody, and in hospital. there were questions that he had, questions that he knew the rest of the country had and ques

is that we are not the nation we were in 2001. >> right. >> thatpresidentobamahascome out asking our nation to stay true to unity and diversity, words we did not hear after 9/11. deval patrick, governor of massachusetts said if we're to heal as a nation, we need to turn to each other rather than on each other. inl going to hang on to that the next few months. >> nobody else had to have commercial this is week, but we do. we'll come back to you as soon as we're back from the break. this is for real this time. step seven point two one two. verify and lock. command is locked. five seconds. three, two, one. standing by for capture. the most innovative software on the planet... dragon is captured. is connecting today's leading companies to places beyond it. siemens. answers. bjorn earns unlimited rewards for his small business. take these bags to room 12 please. [ garth ] bjorn's small business earns double miles on every purchase every day. produce delivery. [ bjorn ] just put it on my spark card. [ garth ] why settle for less? ahh, oh! [ garth ] great businesses deserve unlimited reward

. and they are saying that at least preliminarily a letter that was sent topresidentobamaandreceived on tuesday at an offsite mail facility has tested positive for ricin. when mail goes to the white house, it doesn't actually go to the white house first. it does go to an offsite facility. this is the same case with capitol hill. keep in mind and i know our joe johns has been reminding us of this, there are people that have to process it. and obviously ricin is a very dangerous substance. so there's certainly concern there about the people who had to process this, but this was intercepted on tuesday. and the big question now is, is there a connection here between this letter, this one letter and the other letter sent to senator wicker and the bombings that happened in boston on monday? it certainly is remarkable timing and really makes you question that. jay carney, the white house press secretary was asked about this during a briefing a short time ago. and he wouldn't rule out that there was a connection. i think the reason a lot of people are asking is the bombings happened about 3:00 p.m. on

wicker, the other topresidentobama, eachcontaining the same writing, the same cryptic phrase each tainted with ricin. both being tested in the army's bio warfare research lab at ft. diedrich in maryland. joe johns joining us and dana bash joining us, as well. dana, you've been talking to your sources, getting more information on how all this went down. what have you learned? >> i've learned from a law enforcement official here that they have been actually tracking the man who was arrested for some time, because he had been sending letters to senator wicker, this is not the first time. it had been going on for a while. so i'm told they gave the information that they had -- that they collected. they collected a record on this individual to the fbi, and the fbi was able then to go down to tupelo, mississippi to make this arrest of this individual today. and, again, this is -- this man was arrested in the case of sending what they still believe to be at least initial positive tests of ricin, letters to senator roger wicker of mississippi and also we learned today president obama. neit

. those letters addressed topresidentobamaandmississippi republican senator roger wicker. we have learned the suspect is a man from tupelo, mississippi, a man with a long history of sending letters to lawmakers in washington. investigators say that early tests on those letters were positive. that mail never came close to the president or the senator for that matter. they set off alarms though in postal screening facilities away from the white house and away from chill. i want to start our coverage this hour now with mike emanuel who is live on capitol hill and there is a lot we can report now that we could not several hours ago. what do we have now. >> that's right, bill. we can tell you the man's name is kenneth curtis, he is from tupelo, mississippi. the arrest made we understand this evening unclear whether charges will be filed tonight or tomorrow and where they will be filed you better believe federal law enforcement and prosecutorial people talking about exactly how to proceed from this point. we know that these letters addressed to president obama and senator roger wicker,

on "fox & friends," several high-ranking lawmakers calling onpresidentobamatoclassify the bombing suspect as enemy combat tant. remember, he wasn't read his miranda rights. what would it mean? and why is it important? the constitutional attorney will weigh in on this when we come back. morning, brian! loveour passat! um. listen, gary. i bought the lt one. nice try. says right here you can get one for $199 a month. you can't believe the lame-stream media, gary. they're all gone. maybe i'll get one. [ male announcer ] now everyone's going to want one. you can't have the same car as me, gary! i'm gett' one. nope! [ male announcer ] volkswagen springtoberfest is here and there's no better time to get a passat. that's the power of german engineering. right now lease one of four volkswagen models for under $200 a month. visit vwdealer.com today. the battle of bataan, 1942. [ all ] fort benning, georgia, in 1999. [ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve

the place here. it's going to be nice to get back to lazy lake stevens. >>presidentobamaevenmentioned iffrig in this week's statements. we may be momentarily knocked off our feet, but we'll pick it ourselves up. >>> the latest on the huge explosion that leveled parts of one small town in texas. m alwayn to taste great. she was a picky eater. well now i'm her dietitian and last year, she wasn't eating so well. so i recommended boost complete nutritional drink to help her get the nutrition she was missing. and now she drinks it every day. well, it tastes great! [ male announcer ] boost has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones, and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. and our great taste is guaranteed or your money back. learn more at boost.com [ dietitian ] now, nothing keeps mom from doing what she loves... being my mom. [ dog barking ] ♪ [ female announcer ] life is full of little tests, but your basic paper towel can handle them. especially if that towel is bounty basic. the towel that's 50% stronger. in this lab demo e

in the form of letters sent topresidentobamaanda u.s. senator. each tested positive for ricin, a third letter stoent a judent in mississippi is being retested. paul kevin curtis is in jail in mississippi. he vehemently denies the allegations. he is not aware of any illness as a result of the letters. after the boston bombing, some say work on an immigration bill should be delayed. republican senator, dan coats, of indiana, says that congress should wait until the emotional reaction to the bombing subsides before debating immigration. the two brothers came to the u.s. legally from the russian caucasus region. the younger brother immigrated with his parents in 2002. the older brother came later. the younger brother became a u.s. citizen last year. >>> for the boy scouts of america, gay scouts might soon be allowed to join but not gay scout leaders. that's the proposal from the scout's executive committee. a final proposal is expected to be presented to the boy scouts voting members at their meeting in dallas in may. let's go back to boston now. don? >> thank you, victor. we'll check back

letters sent topresidentobamaandmississippi senator roger wicker, today the attorney for the suspect arrested last week reports the client is now out of jail. and sources are telling fox news the fbi is investigating whether somebody else may have for example -- framed him. the feds arrest is this guy last week in mississippi, an hour north or so of tupelo. right up on the tennessee state line. stood accused of mailing letters tainted with the deadly poison ricin to these two, the president, and senator roger wicker and a local judge. now he is a free man. let's start with the senate majority leader reid there's been another incident. >> ent know a whole lot. the story is moving in number of different directions at the same time, if there is another letter, not a surprise. if it's connected with the original three letters, during an initial appearance for kevin crore tis, u.s. concerns were saying there may be a fourth letter out there. apparently, according to senator harry reid was at bolling air force base, just south of washington, dc. here's what the senator said. >> we have had

afternoon, also, in boston presidentobamaspeakingat the inter faith service in memory of those who lost their lives and were injured in the boston marathon had a message to these two guys right after the photos had been released. >> to those who carried this out and anyone who would do harm to our people, yes, we will find you. and, yes you will face justice >> bill: yes, we will find you. well, they found themselves, as i pointed out. the f.b.i. on their trail but these guys took -- they realized, thankfully that the f.b.i. was closing in. and so they decided they had to get out of the area. they started by robbing the 711 shooting and killing a m.i. t. security officer and car-jacking the car and going in this car chase this morning. ed davis, who is the police commissioner for boston said this one guy on the loose. >> we believe this to be a terrorist. we believe this to be a man who has come here to kill people. we need to get him in custody. >> timothy albin followed up by warning people, again, about the lone suspect at large. >> he should be conside

information becomes available. the address is cnn.com/impact. >>> aspresidentobamapreparesfor his trip to boston tomorrow, we're getting new information in, the fbi is keeping him updated on the latest. why he is saying we may not get answers to quickly. that's next. [ tires screech ] [ beeping ] ♪ [ male announcer ] we don't just certify our pre-owned vehicles. we inspect, analyze and recondition each one, until it's nothing short of a genuine certified pre-owned... mercedes-benz for the next new owner. ♪ hurry in to your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for 1.99% financing during our certified pre-owned sales event through april 30th. once you try an oral-b deep sweep power brush, you'll never want to go back. its dynamic power bristles reach between teeth to remove up to 76% more plaque than sonic in hard to reach areas. oral-b deep sweep 5000 power brush. >>> listen, the president will visit boston tomorrow, but i want to show you exactly what he will face. starting here at the hotel, we're in copley square. here there are members of the national guard, as we pan back to the lef